The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1887-08-18
The Same Old Methods.

condition by an article which appeared in
the VIRGINIAN few weeks ago criticising
a private letter given to thepublic, writ
ten by Hon. J.. S. Barbour to a gentleman
in Accomac county. We are not sur
prised at this. In fact we expected it,
The most tantalizing thing for the aver
age Democratic speaker or writer is the
record of his party. He cannot defend it,
and consequently when brought face to
face with it, epithets and abuse are the
only weapons to which he can resort
One of these editors blurts out that the
statements in the VIRGINIAN are false, :"
and calls upon his brother Democrats to
denounce not only the statements but the
writer of the criticism of Mr.. Barbour as
an ungrateful Virginian. The other, a
week afterwards, proceeds to do the de-
nouncing and bemoans the degeneracy
of any Virginian to the manner born, :"
who would be guilty of assalling the record
of so immaculate a party as the Demo-
cratic, or questioning the patriotic devo-
ton of the "best people" who compose
that party. This latter irate writer infers
that the VIRGINIAN charged ''perjury'
against the members of the Legislature OF
1854. We do not think we used the term
'perjury'' or anything that could be liter
orally construed into the meaning OF that
word. We simply stated the facts which
are known of all men. and if they make
such arraignment. then the facts are re-
sponsible. We, however, cannot be pro-
voked into an exchange of epithets with
the editors referred to, nor into line OF
remark such as they have seen proper to
| indulge. That is not our idea OF Journal
| ism. Nor can we be diverted from a dis
cussion of the record of the Democratic
party and exposure Of its faults and
crimes, by any such device. We pur-
pose, during this canvass, to discuss the
questions and facts pertinent to an under
standing of the relations of the two par
ties to the State of Virginia and her inter
ests fairly, and without regard to the fear,
favor or affection of any one. No State
| in the Union has been 80 wrOnged and
outraged as has been Virginia by what is
called the Democratic party. Under its
various aliases, from 1866 TO the present
time, it's record has been succession of
blunders, each one more aggravating and
| indefensible than the other, until the State
is now in the pitiable condition she is
found. The people have been deceived
and deluded by designing politicians into
their support, and consequently are only
indirectly to blame. When their leaders
are brought to the books and their acts ex-
posed, forthwith the clamor is raised that
the people of Virginia have been as-
sailed" The politicians are not the peo-
Pile. The Democratic party is not the
people, Three-fourths of the intelligent
members Of that party are as pronounced
| in their condemnation of the record the
politicians have made as we are. They
denounce them more bitterly than we do.
! Yet when the time comes to give express
| sion to their honest beliefs at the ballot
| box, by some unexplained and unexplain-
| able influence, they vote the same way,
depending upon the promises Of the poll
ticians to DO better in the future.
The same class of people with these ed
itors have been denouncing the Republi-
can party eyer SINCE it had an organization
in Virginia and yet each year they formally
endorse what the Republicans have sup
ported the previous year, and denounce
their own action by 50 doing. We were
denounced in 1872 because we would not
support Greedy over Grant. We were de-
nounced for favoring Hughes over KEN
per. We were denounced for insisting
upon the repeal of the capitation tax re
striction Oh the ballot for demanding the
repeal of the whipping post law; for the
restitution to the public schools of the
revenues dedicated to them by the constl-
tuition and diverted by Democratic legis-
iation: for a re-statement of the debt and
readjustment of the conditions of the
act of 1871; and for opposing the Demo
cratic party because of its positions upon
these and other important questions. We
were denounced as untrue to our birth.
right and false to Virginia because of our
views upon every one of these issues. Yet
we find these same denunciators, adopting
every position we have heretofore main
famed, and proclaiming them as cardinal
principles of the Democratic party!
1t will not be long before the iniquities
of the campaign of 1888 and those which
grew out of Democratic success in that
year, will be as severely rebuked by the
Democratic party, as they have, by their
action, rebuked their record previous to
that time. Public sentiment will drive
them along, as heretofore, to endorsing
Republican ideas and Republican legisla-
ton. Nearly every resolution of their re-
cent platform was stolen from the Repub-
lcans, yet no one believes they have any
thought of giving them practical enforce
ment if they should be successful. They
will endorse anything and advocate any
thing if by SO doing they are given power
and the control of revenues. That is their
supreme ambition. There is not an adj
ministrative principle nor a legislative
enactment that is distinctly and consis-
tently Democratic that they will dare urge
before the people. Both in Federal and
State affairs they are trading upon Re-
publican ideas and Republican legislation,
conscious that it is only through deception
and treachery that they have ghost of a
change for success in either case.
We are not surprised, therefore, that
the arraignment of the record of the
Democratic leaders by the VIRGINIAN
made in its criticisms of Mr.. BarDour's
letter, aroused the ire Of few of the
Democratic editors, and that the same
old epithets and abuse have been resOrted
TO to obscure the facts and deceive the
people. But this does not and will not
disturb us, nor will it divert us from the
purpose to hold the record of the Demo-
cratic leaders up to the gaze of the world
and the judgment of the intelligent and
well-meaning people of the State. This
we shall do, regardless Of the insane rant
ings Of those who will not essay to discuss
the records of the two parties dispassion-
ately Or appeal to the reason of the voters
who have to determine the matter at is.
sue at the ballot box. The days of slang,
o,,l 1,;11;l;oot;op oro o,,o, ~, - |